Parts of Art

  It was 2001 and I was participating in a juried art show in DelRay Beach, Florida. I had stepped away from my booth for a few minutes, and when I came back was surprised to see a woman in my booth. With her face about five inches from the displayed jewelry pieces,  she was closely inspecting them!  Undaunted, I greeted her and then started in on the usual explanation of my work. I peel the dried paint from the palette and transform it into jewelry. After a moment of listening, she said, “I can tell they’re made from paint, because I make paint.”             At first I wasn’t sure I had heard her correctly. Up to now, I had never met anyone who makes paint!  But then she introduced herself to me: she was Barbara Golden. Okay, Barbara Golden of Golden Paints?!?! OMG! I had a celebrity in my booth, at least a celebrity in my world! I mean, Golden Paints was only the biggest name in professional artist acrylics!  ...

     “We need to come up with something catchy, so people will remember your name.”        I was set up at an art show, if you really want to call it that. It was hot, dry and dusty and there were no customers. It was more like a desert than an art show. So, as often happens, my neighbor and I began to talk. She was selling collapsible hats, and had travelled over the country doing so. Over the course of the long two day affair, she surprised me by becoming the self appointed advisor for my brand.      At the time my brand was Paint Chip Jewelry. It was an apt description of my work. I peel the acrylic paint from an artist palette and upcycle it into jewelry. But that day as the hat lady perused my booth and offered her unsolicited but appreciated advice, I realized that which I had not seen.       "Your name makes your jewelry sound cheap, like some leftover throwaway paint. We need to find ...